Friday, October 19, 2012

There’s a fairly large population of folks who just don’t
like fish. I’m not talking about people with allergies, but those poor souls
who’s worst nightmare is arriving at a dinner party, only to find out the main
course is fish. Their reasons are as diverse as they are unfortunate.

Well, this broiled red snapper recipe may be just what the
doctor ordered. Normally we don’t want to cover up the delicate flavors of the
seafood, but in this case, we have no choice. It’s not like you can’t tell
you’re eating fish, but close enough.

By the way, the last time I made red snapper, a few people
wondered out loud if that was a wise choice, sustainability-wise. I believe the
variety I used was local and not in danger, but I know it’s on some no-eat lists. However, things may be looking up for red snapper in the Gulf.

I just read that there appears to be an abundant red snapper
population there, and fishermen are anxiously waiting for the bureaucratic powers
that be to raise the limits. You can read more about that here. Of course, this
will work with any white fish, so I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

19 comments:

Chef, it is difficult for me to broil like this because I have one of those under-oven broilers and the heating element is way too close to the broiler pan, so food always burns before it cooks. If I were going to bake this instead, would a very high temperature, like 500 degrees, be appropriate and do you think it would turn out the same way? Thanks

Looks like a variation of the 'Rusty chicken' and I'm wondering how this would work with thin chicken breast slices. Instead of baking or done on the grill. (Sometimes it's too cold and nasty to grill, here in New England.)

I really don't like fish, but that looks kinda tasty.I a little surprised that you ad the pepper in advance.I always try not to use spices as the top layer cause they tend to burn and become bitter.And what did you do to those tomatos?They have such a dark red color and look realy delicious.

For a more or less definitive reference on fish population and sustainability, refer to

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx

and they suggest avoiding gulf Red Snapper.

I spent a few years involved in oceanographic research and the allied sciences. Iknow folks from MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) and they are among the best scientists in the business. If they say something about oceanography or marine biology, I am inclined to believe them.

Your mileage may vary.

I should also note that many fish are sold as Red Snapper which really aren't. Fish labeling is not always as precise as they might be.

Chef, I've tried many of your recipes and loved them all. I failed on this one though, not because I can't cook fish but because I had to substitute fish..I think. The commissary where I live has a horrible selection of fish (most everything else too) and never has anything fresh so I picked up a packet of frozen flounder. I'm not sure if it was the fish or that I had to use a little countertop broiler because the broiler on the over blows our circuit breakers so is unusable, anyway the fish turned into a gelatonous mess. I turned the pan every 2 minutes like you instructed, but each time the broiler pan was full of juices so I dumped them out. All in all it turned out to be really bad. I'm thinking maybe flounder is a juicier fish that red snapper, am I correct?

Hi Chef John. 2 Things. 1. I LOVE your site. Every recipe that I have tried has come out "magnifique". My friends and family are so impressed that they have begun to call me Little John.2; I used your "fish hater" sauce for Red Snapper on Tilapia. It was a huge hit. Thanks again for bringing us such delicious and easy to follow recipes.YOU ARE THE MANBestCL

Hey, I really love this! And it gave me a chance to use up those extra packets of mayo from Chic-fil-et and BBQ sauce from Sonic! I did this with ocean perch (which was great) and flounder (good but needs to cook a little to dry it out a bit before broiling). And it was nice not to get things so fishy-smelling in the kitchen.

Liked your observation of problems being caused by waterlogged, frozen fish. Where I live here in Ohio it is very hard to find anything else. Can you give me any advice on how to defrost and prepare fish for the cooking methods you use?"